Everything you need to keep a handmade rug alive
Wool, silk, cotton, and natural-fiber care — cleaning methods, stain response, and storage, written from forty-plus years of hands-on conservation work.
- Cleaning Guides
Iranian Carpet Cleaning: The Right Method for Hand-Knotted Persian Rugs
Cold-water hand washing, individual dye testing, controlled flat drying — the conservation method for Tabriz, Kashan, Heriz, Qashqai, Isfahan, and Sarouk.
Ghorban Ahmadi6 min readMay 29, 2026 - Cleaning Guides
Can You Steam Clean a Persian Rug? A Conservator Answers
Wool shrinkage, dye migration, and foundation rot — why hot-water extraction is wrong for every Persian rug.
Ghorban Ahmadi8 min readMay 26, 2026 - Cleaning Guides
Antique Chinese Rug Cleaning — Nichols, Peking, Art Deco
Nichols sculpted pile, Peking, Art Deco — dye-sensitive early synthetics and silk blends, hand-washed correctly.
Ghorban Ahmadi3 min readApril 23, 2026 - Cleaning Guides
The Interior Designer's Guide to Rug Care on Luxury Installs
A working reference for designers and architects — pre-install prep, handling protocol, cleaning cadence by room.
Ghorban Ahmadi4 min readApril 23, 2026 - Cleaning Guides
Kilim & Flatweave Cleaning and Repair
Anatolian, Persian, Caucasian, Afghan kilims — slit-weave reinforcement, selvedge reconstruction, cold-water hand washing.
Ghorban Ahmadi3 min readApril 23, 2026 - Cleaning Guides
Moroccan & Berber Rug Cleaning — Beni Ourain, Azilal, Boucherouite
Beni Ourain, Azilal, Boucherouite, and Atlas Mountain kilims — hand-washed, lanolin-preserving, dye-safe.
Ghorban Ahmadi3 min readApril 23, 2026 - Stain Removal
Pet Urine in Oriental Rugs — Why It Comes Back
Pet urine is a chemistry problem, not a stain problem. Why DIY methods fail and why odor returns in humid weather.
Ghorban Ahmadi4 min readApril 23, 2026 - Storage & Prevention
Rug Pad Guide — What Works, and What Destroys Hardwood
Felt, rubber, felt+rubber, memory foam compared. What to use on hardwood, what destroys finishes, and correct sizing.
Ghorban Ahmadi3 min readApril 23, 2026 - Storage & Prevention
Rug Storage in Chicago's Climate
Chicago humidity (60–80% summer, 20–30% winter) plus moths makes storage hostile. What works at home and when to use climate-controlled.
Ghorban Ahmadi3 min readApril 23, 2026 - Cleaning Guides
Can You Steam Clean Oriental Rugs?
The technical reason hot-water extraction damages handmade rugs — dye migration, foundation soak, fibre fatigue.
Ghorban Ahmadi4 min readApril 22, 2026 - Cleaning Guides
What Eco-Friendly Rug Cleaning Actually Means
Most "green cleaning" is marketing. What conservation chemistry actually looks like and what to ask any cleaner.
Ghorban Ahmadi3 min readApril 22, 2026 - Cleaning Guides
How a Museum Conservator Cleans a Rug
The full conservation-grade hand-washing process — dust extraction, dye-test, cold immersion, controlled drying.
Ghorban Ahmadi4 min readApril 22, 2026 - Cleaning Guides
How Often Should You Have Your Rugs Professionally Cleaned?
12–18 months for most rooms, less for some, more for others. The real factors: traffic, fibre, pets, allergies.
Ghorban Ahmadi3 min readApril 22, 2026 - By Material
Jute Rugs: What You Can Clean Yourself
Jute cannot be wet-cleaned without risk of staining and rot. The dry-extraction methods that actually work.
Ghorban Ahmadi3 min readApril 22, 2026 - Storage & Prevention
How to Store Rugs Properly — and What Happens When You Don't
Moths, moisture, compression — all preventable. The right way to roll, wrap, label, and store a rug at home.
Ghorban Ahmadi3 min readApril 22, 2026 - Cleaning Guides
Shag Rug Cleaning: Why Standard Methods Damage High-Pile Rugs
Why high-pile shag rugs need a different process — pre-extraction, hand-washing, controlled drying for tall fibre.
Ghorban Ahmadi3 min readApril 22, 2026 - By Material
Silk Rug Cleaning: The Most Delicate Fibre We Work With
Silk is the most delicate fibre we work with. The pH-managed chemistry and dye-test protocol Qum and Hereke pieces require.
Ghorban Ahmadi3 min readApril 22, 2026 - Cleaning Guides
Turkish Rug Cleaning: What Makes Anatolian Rugs Different
Anatolian, Hereke, Konya, Kayseri, and kilim — what differentiates Turkish rugs from Persian rugs in cleaning approach.
Ghorban Ahmadi3 min readApril 22, 2026 - Cleaning Guides
Why Rug Doctor Machines Damage Handmade Rugs
We see this damage every week. Dye bleed, mould, pile distortion — the mechanical and chemical failure modes documented.
Ghorban Ahmadi3 min readApril 22, 2026 - By Material
Wool Rug Cleaning: What Wool Does That Synthetics Don't
Why wool needs cold water, lanolin-safe detergent, and controlled humidity — and what truck-mount machines do to it.
Ghorban Ahmadi4 min readApril 22, 2026 - Cleaning Guides
How to Clean a Persian Rug at Home
Weekly maintenance, spot cleaning, stain-specific tips, and the mistakes that cause the most damage — from a museum-trained conservator.
Ghorban Ahmadi - By Material
How to Care for a Wool Rug
Why lanolin matters, safe cleaning methods, what damages wool, and when to call a professional.
Ghorban Ahmadi - By Material
How to Care for a Silk Rug
How to tell real silk from art silk, why silk is so delicate, what destroys it, and why silk needs a specialist.
Ghorban Ahmadi - By Material
How to Care for a Cotton Rug
Cleaning flatweaves and dhurries, why cotton shrinks and browns, and what only a professional should handle.
Ghorban Ahmadi - By Material
How to Care for Jute & Sisal Rugs
Why these plant-fiber rugs must stay dry, how to spot-clean safely, and what damage cannot be undone.
Ghorban Ahmadi - By Material
How to Care for a Synthetic Rug
Cleaning polypropylene, nylon, and polyester — what they tolerate, their limits, and when wool is the better long-term buy.
Ghorban Ahmadi - Cleaning Guides
How to Clean a Wool Rug
Weekly maintenance, spot cleaning, a full stain guide, what destroys wool, and when to call a professional — the complete home-care reference for the most common rug fiber.
Ghorban Ahmadi - Cleaning Guides
How to Clean a Silk Rug
Daily care, spot cleaning, what absolutely destroys silk, and why professional cleaning is non-negotiable for the most delicate rug fiber.
Ghorban Ahmadi - Stain Removal
How to Remove Pet Stains from a Rug
The first-30-minutes response protocol, why old stains rarely respond to DIY, and how professional pet stain treatment actually works.
Ghorban Ahmadi - Stain Removal
How to Remove Red Wine from a Rug
The 60-second rule, cold water and salt methods, the club soda myth, what not to use, and when to call a professional.
Ghorban Ahmadi - Stain Removal
How to Get Coffee Out of a Rug
Black coffee vs coffee with cream, the vinegar solution method, cream-based stains, and dried coffee stains.
Ghorban Ahmadi - Stain Removal
How to Remove Grease from a Rug
The baking soda and cornstarch methods, dish soap for persistent grease, and what not to do.
Ghorban Ahmadi - Stain Removal
How to Remove Ink from a Rug
Ballpoint, fountain pen, marker, and printer toner each need a different treatment — here is what works for each.
Ghorban Ahmadi - Stain Removal
How to Get Blood Out of a Rug
Why cold water only is the one rule, the salt paste method, dried blood, and why silk needs a professional.
Ghorban Ahmadi - Cleaning Guides
How to Clean an Oriental Rug
The universal rules that protect every hand-knotted rug, where care diverges by fiber and origin, and the umbrella guide that routes to the right specific one.
Ghorban Ahmadi - Cleaning Guides
How to Clean a Turkish Rug
Ghiordes knots, wool-warp village foundations, soft Oushak wool, and why kilims are a different job entirely — the Turkish-specific care guide.
Ghorban Ahmadi - General Care
How to Dry a Wet Rug
The 24–48 hour mildew window, the immediate steps that save a rug, what never to do, and when flood water changes everything.
Ghorban Ahmadi - General Care
How to Vacuum a Rug the Right Way
Technique over frequency — the right settings by rug type, the fringe rule, robot vacuum honesty, and what vacuuming can never reach.
Ghorban Ahmadi - General Care
Rug Fringe Care
Fringe is foundation, not decoration — how to clean yellowed fringe safely, the daily habits that protect it, and the mistakes that kill rugs.
Ghorban Ahmadi - General Care
How to Care for an Antique Rug
Brittle foundations, fugitive dyes, and wear that is part of the value — placement, handling, display, and the museum standard of minimal intervention.
Ghorban Ahmadi - General Care
How to Flatten a Rug
Why rugs curl, buckle, or won’t lay flat, and how to fix it — reverse rolling, weighted flattening, heat methods, and when the damage is structural.
Ghorban Ahmadi - General Care
How to Hang a Rug on the Wall: The Museum Method
The velcro-and-sleeve method museums use, step by step — which rugs belong on the wall, the methods that destroy them, and placement rules.
Ghorban Ahmadi - Cleaning Guides
How Often to Clean Rugs
The 12-18 month baseline, what shortens or extends that interval, a home maintenance schedule, and signs it is overdue.
Ghorban Ahmadi - Cleaning Guides
Rug Odor Removal
Why rugs hold onto smell, pet odor, musty and mildew smell, smoke odor, and why home deodorizers do not actually solve it.
Ghorban Ahmadi - Storage & Prevention
How to Store an Oriental Rug
Cleaning before storage, rolling vs folding, wrapping, climate requirements, mothproofing, and an inspection schedule for long-term storage.
Ghorban Ahmadi - Cleaning Guides
Oriental Rug Cleaning Cost: Full Price Guide (2026)
What professional rug cleaning actually costs by construction and fiber, and why the cheapest quote is usually the most expensive rug you will ever own.
Ghorban Ahmadi